Hey there, other extroverts! It's Becca! My internet went down, so shoutout to Finn for posting this for me.
I know times are tough. We don’t get to hang out with our friends. We all feel cut off and isolated from each other. It really sucks! We’re all a bit like bees without their hive.
And sometimes, especially in quarantine, your family just can’t cut it. You love them, and you like being around them, but… you can’t have a conversation with your little brother that doesn't involve the word butt, your bigger sister just wants to ignore you and go Netflixing, and your mom is always working. Plus, you really, really miss your friends!
What are you going to do?
Here’s a few things I found that chase out those nasty, antisocial quarantine blues!
Text a few close friends every day, or once every few days.
If you’re as extroverted as I am, you’re probably wondering, “Why can’t I text everyone? I love them! I want to make sure they’re doing okay!” And you should! They’ll probably love to talk to someone, just like you love talking to them! However, unless all of your friends are very close, you should only text people a few times a week. Otherwise, and this is something I know from experience, you just end up coming off as a little desperate. So spam your friends every three days, not ten times every 30 minutes, ya know?
Instead of texting someone, call or FaceTime them.
I firmly believe that hearing someone’s voice can calm you down, bring back good memories, and help you better connect with someone you’re already close to. Plus, talking to somebody, especially in quarantine, just feels great! Try to schedule an hour or two-hour block of time when you can really hang out and talk to a friend. Trust me, it’ll do you both a world of good and help you feel connected again!
Hang out with your pets!
If you’re lucky enough to have a pet, why not spend some quality time with them? I promise you, you’re a big part of their life. You’re either that nice master who gives them treats when Mom isn’t looking, or that annoying human that’s okay to be around, maybe. Animals are people too, and they’ll love that you took time to be with them. Next time you’re feeling down in the dumps, play fetch with your dog, or invite your cat to curl up with you. It’ll make both of you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Put yer dang phone down!
I know, I know. We’ve all heard it A MILLION times from our parents. And why should we put our phones down? They’re fun! They keep us entertained! But if you’re watching TikTok or just scrolling Instagram all day, studies show you might be putting yourself at risk of getting or heightening anxiety and depression. It starts with that icky feeling in your stomach, and it gets much worse. So clean your room! Listen to music! Walk! Do something you love! Try to take 30 minutes doing something different. I know it’s very, very hard to unplug, but once you do, feel proud of yourself! I want you to do something interesting, and then make a new TikTok. Who knows? You might get some inspiration!
Stop complaining, and do what you want!
It’s easy to blame the world around us in troubled times like these, and believe me, I know it’s easy to get caught up in what you don’t have or what could be better. But there’s still a lot of things you can do in quarantine. DM that person you like! Call a friend! Watch a movie! Do whatever it is that you love, and have a lot of fun doing it. Ya know, actually getting up off your butt is an awesome thing to do. So just go for it!
Stop complaining, and find a passion!
Same thing as #5! You’ll feel great by opening yourself up to something new.
Watch a good TV show or movie with someone.
Being a giant nerd, I decided to do a Lord of the Rings marathon with my little brother. And honestly, it felt a lot better than if I had just watched it by myself. There’s something about enjoying a movie with someone else that’s just really nice. It’s like if you went on a long quest to slay a dragon together! You get to de-stress, and live your best extroverted life by experiencing something goofy with someone else. And maybe you’ll experience life with someone goofy, too! It just feels great to be around someone!
Read that book you never got to.
Honestly, this is the thing that’s helped me the most in quarantine. And I’m very extroverted. I have three circles I hang around, most of everyone I meet I try to make friends with, and I love being around the diverse, crazy energy of people. However, when you read a book, you’re being taken far, far away to a place you’ve never been before. It replaces your need for diversity and connectivity, because you’re literally in another person’s story and you’re going somewhere you’ve never gone before. For me, reading is really similar to being around people; you get to experience what they’re doing, and go on a wild ride. You get to be around different people, and look at being alive another way. You can bond with the characters. You get to be free somewhere else. Reading is like going to another world; you never know what you’ll find there. This is where we should take a tip from our introverted friends, because we all know they’re living their best lives right now. They, and I, think reading is one of the best things you can do for yourself. So go crack open a good book today! Go on an adventure!
I hope you appreciate this long post, and use these things to improve your amazing extroverted life! On QuaranTEEN, we get you, love you, and we want to help you out. So go on being you and doing what you do, and I’ll “see” you next time!
Love,
Becca
P.S. I found a survey, a report, and a government study on #4, phone use and our mental health. Check them out if you want to know a little more!
The report:
The survey:
The government study:
Happy reading!